Bhopal:
Leaders of the Madhya Pradesh Congress have accused the BJP of insulting Dalits and subsequently targeting Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. Their reaction came after an FIR was registered against Gandhi over his remarks concerning the “purification” controversy in Haldwani.
Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders said that instead of registering a case against Gandhi, action should have been taken against those who performed the purification ritual at the venue where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had addressed a public meeting.
Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath said that the BJP first insulted Dalits by conducting the ritual and then, when Gandhi raised the issue, an FIR was registered against him.
He alleged that the incident showed that the BJP not only insults Dalits but also harasses those who fight for their rights. Kamal Nath said, “The Congress party stands firmly with Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. The Dalit community across the country will teach the BJP a lesson for this injustice and insult.”
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari also attacked the BJP, alleging that it protected those responsible for the incident and instead filed a case against Gandhi.
Patwari said, “The narrow-minded BJP first got the venue where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally was held ‘purified’. When public leader Rahul Gandhi raised the serious issue of untouchability, an FIR was registered against him.”
He alleged that the incident reflected the “anti-Dalit mindset” of the BJP and RSS and claimed that the party was attempting to suppress the voices of Dalits and marginalized communities.
The reactions came a day after Uttarakhand Police registered an FIR against Gandhi following a complaint by a member of the Valmiki community in Haldwani.
According to the information available, the case was registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to promoting enmity between groups and deliberate acts intended to outrage religious sentiments. The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was also invoked.
The complainant alleged that Gandhi gave a caste-related interpretation to the religious ritual conducted at the venue where Kharge’s programme had been held.
The controversy began after a “Shuddhi Yagya” was performed at the Ramlila Maidan in Haldwani on August 11, three days after Kharge’s public meeting.
According to the state Congress, Rahul Gandhi will visit Indore on September 12, where he will participate in and address the “Students Ki Goonj” programme.
